Thank you!

I wanted to take a moment out of my busy day to publicly thank the citizens and City Council of Bath. Yesterday, the Bath Youth Meetinghouse & Skatepark (The Park) opened the doors of its new home in the old Armory Building on Old Brunswick Road. The place was packed with the young and the young at heart. Everyone I saw wore looks of incredulous joy that such a place existed…for them.

It’s been a tough summer for the youth in our community. They need our love, support and understanding now more than ever. The Park is a positive, life-affirming place that welcomes everyone – the marginalized as well as the main stream. It’s a beacon of light, a place of hope and possibility. The Park is a community solution that shows that we value our youngest citizens. At a time when investing in children and families is not a politically popular thing to do, Bath’s City Council said yes to our youth. The look of happiness on the faces of the skaters and young people hanging out in the teen center was worth every tax dollar that has been invested in the new facility. So kudos to all of us, the citizens of Bath and our public leaders, for coming together with our collective resources to continue a program that provides sanctuary for our young people.

The staff of Bath’s Parks & Recreation Department, led by Steve Balboni, worked tirelessly to get The Park ready to open. Cassandra Brown & AJ Reno are The Park’s rock stars! Many, many volunteer hours went into rebuilding the skatepark elements and creating an inviting teen center. The Park has received generous donations of computers, a flat screen television, couches and more. It’s been a real labor of love.

The Friends of the Bath Youth Meetinghouse & Skatepark have made a commitment to support The Park’s programs and infrastructure with on-going fundraising initiatives, volunteer coordination and advocacy. You can join us in our efforts by visiting our web site.

The Park will hold a grand opening celebration in September, after school starts up again. In the meantime, please visit the new location and be reminded that the common good lives and thrives in Bath.